Live From Paste: Mike Cooley

Mike Cooley, one of the two songwriting powers behind the Drive-By Truckers, isn’t the first thing you notice onstage when watching his band. His counterpart Paterson Hood usually steals the spotlight, allowing Cooley to serve as the backbone for the Athens, Ga. rockers. In between a rare two-night solo performance at Atlanta’s The Earl, Cooley stopped by the Paste offices to perform stripped-down versions of his part of the Drive-By Truckers’ canon. He’s always sung with a distinct Southern croon, something that particularly emerges when he’s alone onstage recreating songs like “Women Without Whiskey,” “A Ghost To Most” and others.